The Betrothal
by HolyHogMonkey
Summary: A story of Tonraq and Senna's first couple of years together. Takes place after Tonraq's banishment leading up to their betrothal.


**Disclaimer: The Legend of Korra is owned by Nickelodeon and created by Bryke. I make no claim to own anything.**

**I got the idea for this from a Tumblr post. I've never really written Tonraq or Senna in-depth before and I rarely write from a male protagonist's POV. That said, this is really fun and you can expect more ^.^ There may be some flaws, I tried doing my research as to how old Tonraq and Senna actually are, so if I'm wrong with anything lemme know. All I know for sure is that Tonraq was banished from the Northern Water Tribe two years before Korra was born. I'm guessing he and Senna meet and fall head over heels pretty fast. Also, we never hear about Korra's maternal grandparents so I headcanon them as dead. I'm such a nice person. Enjoy!**

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><p>Tonraq set the chest down on the floor with a grunt. He remained crouching for a moment as he wiped sweat from his brow. The chest contained a couple of his best weapons and family armour locked away with a heavy padlock. It was nothing he couldn't lift, but carrying it two hundred meters from the docks to the inn had been more challenging than expected.<p>

The light flooding in from the open door dimmed as someone stepped into the doorway, and Tonraq turned to see the girl who had met him at the dock. He stifled a groan and stood.

"Are you sure I can't help you?" she asked. Tonraq shook his head as he passed her, making her step aside to let him by.

The girl followed him anyway. He felt his frustration growing. He had been at sea for two weeks, rarely stopping to restock his food supply, rarely sleeping. He was tired, and he was hungry, and he was irritable. He spun on his heel and faced her.

"Why are you following me?"

The street around them wasn't vacant; heads turned at his outrage and whispers rose between a few older passersby.

But the girl hadn't backed down. She smiled at him. _Smiled_. "We never get visitors around here," she shrugged simply. "Where are you from?"

"The north," Tonraq replied gruffly. He turned and started back towards his boat. He heard snow crunch behind him and suddenly the girl was at his side, looking up at him.

"Are you here on business?"

"No."

"Diplomacy?"

"No."

Her face scrunched in thought. "Hmm, are you here for training or school?"

"No!"

"Oh."

"Senna!"

Tonraq and the girl both turned at the voice calling from behind them. A middle-aged man leaned out from a shop across from the inn.

"Yeah Uncle Huruk?" the girl called back.

"Where are you going? I asked you to bring my nets in an hour ago!"

Tonraq turned to Senna. "You should probably go do that."

"Who is that you're with?" Huruk asked, now approaching Tonraq and Senna.

"I didn't get his name," Senna admitted sheepishly. "He's new."

"Tonraq," he informed the older man.

"And you're entertaining my niece because," Huruk inquired, narrowing his eyes at Tonraq.

"I wasn't."

"Uncle, I was just trying to help him bring his things in from the docks."

Huruk eyed Tonraq suspiciously. He folded his arms over his chest. "So what brings you to the south, stranger? You one of those Republic City hoodlums?"

"No," Tonraq responded dryly.

"He said he's from the north," Senna explained cheerfully, and her smile faded a little when Tonraq glared at her.

"I see. Here to stay, or are you just visiting?" Huruk asked Tonraq.

"Haven't decided. Depends on whether or not I'm welcome," Tonraq replied coldly.

"Do you hunt?"

"Best hunter in the north."

"Pretty bold claim."

"I'll back it up."

"So we'll see you in the next major hunt? You should talk to Kimik. He leads the hunters here in the south." When Tonraq didn't respond, Huruk turned to Senna. "Bring those nets back in. We need to get today's catch prepared by evening."

Senna nodded and followed along beside Tonraq towards the shore. Her eyes were glued on him. He stood a good foot above her, his shoulders almost as wide as her legs were long. She was admiring his strong jaw when he looked down at her and she blushed and looked away.

"So, how old are you?"

"Twenty-two," she replied.

"You live with your uncle?"

"Yeah. I'd move out but, well, Uncle Huruk would be lost without me around."

"I see," said Tonraq.

"Are you usually this quiet?"

Tonraq sighed. They stopped in front of the docks and he looked down at Senna. "It's been a long trip," he finally responded, stepping onto the dock. He looked back at Senna to find her watching him. He sighed. "Hey, how about you help me carry some things up, and I'll help you and your uncle with the fish?"

Senna grinned and ran up to the boat, taking a few small weapons and a light crate. The two carried the luggage back up to the inn, settling everything in the centre of the room. They made their way back to the shore and Senna led him along a small path down to her father's fishing nets. The nets hung between several poles, tightly laced and curving into a tight opening in the shallow water. Senna started untying the nets and Tonraq followed her lead. The two pulled the ends of the nets in and Tonraq took over heaving the weight of dozens of fish and various crustaceans.

"Amazing! Uncle Huruk's gonna be so happy!"

Tonraq expertly tied the ends of the net together and lugged it over his shoulder. He gave Senna a smile and the two turned back to the town. They approached Huruk's shop and Senna opened the door for Tonraq. As soon as he stepped inside, Huruk looked up from behind the wooden counter and his eyes lit up at the bulging net on his back.

"Hell of a catch today! Just think if we take the boat out tomorrow, we can bring in twice that!"

"Why not bring it out today?" Tonraq asked.

"Boat's in for repairs," Senna replied. She led Tonraq to the back room and lifted up a hatch in the floor, revealing a small cold storage dug into the snow.

Tonraq tossed the net inside as Huruk entered the room. "You know, young man, if you need a job, I'd be willing to pay ya to clean those for me."

"Um," Tonraq replied. He hesitated a moment before giving in. "Sure."

"Great! How about you two get started, and I'll let you take some fish home for dinner later?"

"Sounds great," Tonraq replied dully.

Senna grabbed a bucket, opened the hatch and untied the net, scooping up a couple dozen fish and closing the hatch. She set the bucket between the two of them and they set to work.

"So, what's it like in the Northern Water Tribe?" Senna asked.

"Bigger than here."

Senna gave him an incredulous smile. "Really?"

Tonraq glanced at her, then finally laughed. "The south seems to be more advanced than I was told, though."

"This isn't even the main part of town," Senna bragged sarcastically. "We even have the occasional festival, and sometimes, people come here from the Earth Kingdom."

Tonraq laughed. "You have Katara, though. That's something to write home about."

"Yeah, she's pretty neat. Avatar Aang comes by every few weeks to stay with her."

"You know, I've always wanted to meet him."

"Well, now that you're here, you just might." Senna smiled at him, and when he smiled back her cheeks flushed.

"So what do you do around here other than help your uncle catch fish?"

"Cook, clean, teach. That's pretty much it."

"You teach?"

Senna beamed up at him. "Young kids. I'm not a bender, or much of a fighter at all, really. But I love history. So, I started volunteering at the school teaching a small class when I was fifteen, and just kept doing it. Eventually the school administrators just started paying me for it."

"That's great."

"It doesn't bring in much, the classes are only once a week. But, it's fun. Not all of them are as into old stories as I am, but still."

"What's your favourite story?" Tonraq asked.

"Princess Yue," Senna replied immediately.

"Ah, yes. The Moon Spirit." He turned a charming smile at her. "I can see that."

Senna grinned and blushed. "You just met me."

Tonraq gazed at her curiously. "I'm sorry about earlier," he finally said.

Senna looked up at him, her face unreadable for a moment before she gave him a sincere smile. Then she shrugged and went back to her work. "I think I'd be pretty irritated too, if I spent two weeks alone on a small yacht."

Tonraq chuckled. There was much more to it than that, but he remained silent.

:~:

A few days dragged by. Each morning Tonraq was greeted with a knock on the door and a delivery of fish and crab from Senna. He spent the days helping Huruk pull in fish and the evenings cleaning them with Senna. He kept to himself as much as he could, remaining silent whenever Huruk stopped to speak to any of the villagers. One day while he and Huruk cast nets off shore, the older man turned the conversation to hunting.

"Kimik will be sending a party out when the elephant elk head closer. Should be leaving in a few days, if you're interested."

"You won't mind?"

"Why would I?" Huruk asked plainly.

Tonraq shrugged as he heaved his net into the boat. He grunted with his catch and Huruk eyed the squirming bulk of fish.

"Figured you liked having me around," Tonraq joked.

"I'll admit, business has been bustling since you started helping out. And you know, people been asking about you. You should introduce yourself, stop being so quiet and mysterious all the time. That kind of attitude puts everyone off."

"I'll work on it," Tonraq stated as he tied the net off. He moved next to Huruk and helped him heave in his catch.

"But if you're as good a hunter as you say you are, the town could use you. The elk bring in a huge feast for the end of the season celebrations. If you are going to stick around, you should get involved. Show the other men around here you're worth their time."

Tonraq remained silent. He sat as Huruk bent the water around the boat and the two sailed back to the docks. That evening he made his way to the small council building and followed the steps up to Kimik's office. He opened the door without knocking and a man around Tonraq's age looked up.

"Can I help you?" the man asked darkly.

"Are you Kimik?"

The man nodded. "And who exactly are you?"

"My name's Tonraq. I'm here from the –"

"Northern Water Tribe. Right, I heard about you. You've been working for Huruk."

Tonraq nodded. Kimik was a slender man with a short, lean face. His voice was higher pitched but confident and sly.

"I'd like to join your hunt."

"The elephant elk hunt?" Tonraq gave another steady nod. "You're a fisherman, aren't you?"

"I was a warrior in the Northern Water Tribe army and one of the chief's best hunters back home. Huruk offered me the fishing job when I arrived here, and I took it."

"Is that so?" Kimik replied coyly. He narrowed his eyes. "Such high esteem. I wonder, why would someone so skilled leave?"

Tonraq hesitated, but his confidence remained steady. "That is a personal matter."

Kimik eyed him coolly and leaned back in his chair. "Prove your skills to me tomorrow. I can't risk such an important hunt on an unknown variable – I trust you understand."

"What do you have in mind?"

"First, a duel. I'd like to test your strength and skill in combat myself. And of course, I'll need to see your tracking skills. With our departure only a few days away, we'll have to work with haste. You'll be taken into the tundra, blindfolded. If you can find your way back before the hunt, you can join us."

Tonraq stared at the man gravely. He didn't need to ask what would happen if he didn't find his way back. He nodded. "Your terms are acceptable."

"Meet me on the edge of town, behind the community centre at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I'll have my best hunters with me. We'll head out afterwards, so make sure you're rested. Don't bring any food. You'll be fending for yourself."

:~:

Tonraq stood before Kimik and four other men. He turned at the sound of snow crunching behind him and smiled when he saw Huruk and Senna had come to watch the fight. He gave Senna a winning grin and she blushed. Tonraq turned back to Kimik.

Kimik crouched into a ready stance and pulled his club lose from its holster on his back. Tonraq gripped the spear shaft in his hands and stared Kimik down. One of the other hunters slammed a drum stick down onto the skin of a drum and Kimik lunged at Tonraq.

Tonraq pushed his spear in front of him to block the attack while sidestepping, spinning, and arching the staff down onto Kimik. A wall of sharp ice rose up behind Kimik as Tonraq bent the snow around them and Kimik expertly dodged, glaring furiously at Tonraq.

Senna cheered behind them. Tonraq grinned as he chased Kimik down with a blunt wall of ice, this time refraining from adding the sharp edges. Kimik cursed aloud as a shaft of ice barreled into his chest, throwing him to the ground. A couple of the other hunters moved to check on him but he jumped to his feet, breathing heavily. Tonraq spun the staff in his hands and taunted Kimik.

"You're not done, are you?"

Kimik roared and charged at Tonraq, and Tonraq decided to keep the bending at bay. Kimik was clearly a non-bender. The two brought their weapons crashing together, each expertly blocking the others' attacks. Kimik feinted and swung the club to the left, catching Tonraq by surprise as he took the blow to the side of the face and he stumbled before falling to the ground. Kimik brought the club down towards Tonraq's head and Senna cried out.

Tonraq pulled up an ice ramp underneath his shoulders and rolled out of the way just as the club came crashing into the ice where his head had been. He bounced to his feet and swung a roundhouse at Kimik, sending the smaller man flying onto his back in the snow. Tonraq was above him immediately, the broken end of the spear's staff pointed at Kimik's throat. Tonraq bore down on him with the eyes of a practiced killer and he drew a quick, invisible line across Kimik's throat.

His point had been driven home.

Kimik grinned and grabbed onto the staff, pulling himself up. He swung an open hand out and met Tonraq's arm just below the elbow. The two shook with a nod.

Kimik then turned to face his hunters. Tonraq moved up beside him and met their steady gaze.

"Brothers, shall we begin Tonraq's second test?"

The men pumped their fists in the air with a shout and Kimik turned to Tonraq, evidently satisfied. "We've readied the sleds. Follow me."

Senna strode up beside Tonraq as he followed the hunters to the barracks. Her expression portrayed a mix of excitement and concern.

"You're sure you won't get lost?"

"I was tested like this when I was a fourteen-year-old boy. Don't worry." He turned a reassuring smile to the girl.

"You sure I can't come with you?"

"Senna, don't be ridiculous!" Huruk snapped as he caught up with the two.

"I won't earn the hunters' trust by taking someone who knows the south along with me," Tonraq explained.

"Not to mention you'll only get hurt," Huruk scoffed.

"I can take care of myself," Senna defended bitterly, giving her uncle a dirty look. Tonraq laughed.

"We're here." The group halted before a large longhouse on the outskirts of the town. Two arctic saber cats stood reigned to a sled in front of the entrance.

Kimik entered the longhouse and returned with a dark blue scarf. He motioned for Tonraq to step onto the sled and he tied the scarf around Tonraq's face, concealing his eyes. Kimik then turned Tonraq around to face him and pushed him down into a sitting position, making him lean against the front of the sled. Kimik took hold of the reigns and commanded the cats to move off. Senna and Huruk watched as they rode off into the distance and disappeared around a cliff before they returned to the town.

Senna worked with her uncle that night cleaning and preparing fish and bringing them into the storage room. They bantered back and forth between each other and playfully made jokes with the fish. As the sun reached its resting place just above the horizon, they sat to eat.

"I can't wait for elephant elk steaks," Senna hummed happily.

"What, my fish not good enough for you?" Huruk barked, slurping a spoonful of stew.

"I miss real meat."

"Well, tough luck. You still have a few weeks to go."

"Do you think he'll make it in with the hunters?" Senna asked, resting her cheek on her hand with a dreamy expression on her face.

Huruk frowned at her. "Don't you be getting any ideas, young lady. He's too old for you."

Senna blushed. "Hey, I wasn't – you don't know what you're talking about!"

"I wasn't always old, you know. I know two young people infatuated with each other when I see it." He stuffed a spoonful of stew into his mouth and swallowed. "But I am old and crotchety now, and I won't have any of that in my house!"

Senna pouted bitterly up at him. With a shrug, she continued. "Still, it would be good for him. I think he really likes hunting."

"He's a warrior, Senna."

She looked up at him curiously. "Really? He told you that?" A dejected frown fell on her face.

"Not so much, but I know a warrior when I see one. You were there this morning." Huruk grew tense. "I wouldn't be surprised to learn he was part of the Northern army."

"Oh," Senna mumbled, setting her spoon down into her bowl. "Do you think he's ever," she let the question trail off.

"The way he looked at Kimik today, I have almost no doubt he's killed. Kimik is not a man who is easily swayed."

Senna remained silent for a moment.

"Which is another reason I don't want you gallivanting around with that man," Huruk finished. The statement was final. Senna knew he wouldn't listen to argument.

The next afternoon Senna made her way home from the school. She'd spent the day with children between the ages of five and twelve. Her class always left her feeling cheerful. She lost herself in thought, recalling one her student's particular curiosity about the days' lesson when she turned a corner and stopped in her tracks. Tonraq stood in front of her like a wall. They both stepped back in surprise.

"You're back!"

Tonraq smirked. "I told you it was no big deal."

"But, how?"

"Kimik took me into the mountains south-east of here. We only rode for half the night."

"You didn't sleep?"

"Not until this afternoon."

Senna cocked her eyebrow. "You were awake for over thirty hours and you only slept for a few hours this afternoon?"

"I'll mess up my schedule if I sleep all day, especially with the midnight sun. Everything's still a little mixed up for me. It's mid-winter right now, back home."

Senna nodded with understanding. She smiled and hooked her arm in his, guiding him around and leading him back to her uncle's house.

"So how did you find your way back home so soon? Even if you recognize our stars, there aren't many at night this time of year."

"I did my research before I left. Studied the summer stars." Tonraq turned his eyes to the sky. "At midnight, Koh's constellation can be seen in the easternmost corner of the sky."

"Not bad, new guy," Senna winked, and Tonraq smiled down at her.

Senna moved her hand to her side as they came closer to her uncle's house. Tonraq noticed a hint of a blush on her cheeks and decided to pass it off. As they entered the shop, Huruk looked up and gaped at Tonraq.

"Look who I found!" Senna grinned and she bounded behind the counter to stand next to her uncle proudly.

"You really are something, Tonraq," Huruk said. "Did you see Kimik?"

"Yes, as soon as I arrived earlier this afternoon. He was impressed."

"I imagine he would be. So you'll be leaving with the hunters?"

"We leave the day after tomorrow."

Huruk invited Tonraq for dinner that night. The older man kept a watchful eye on the interactions between Senna and Tonraq, and Tonraq took notice. He became acutely aware every time Senna nudged him with her elbow or turned a shy smile at him. He steadily grew more and more reserved over the course of their meal. By the time they'd finished eating, he stood and excused himself quietly.

Senna ran out after him as he climbed the steps to his room.

"Tonraq, I just wanted to say I'm happy for you," she said to him, grinning.

Tonraq gazed at her, and with a glance across the street he could see Huruk watching them. Tonraq nodded and looked away from Senna. "I look forward to working with the hunters."

"So, are you going to stay here?" Senna pressed hopefully.

"I haven't decided. If I'm welcomed into the barracks, I probably will."

Senna smiled sweetly. His heart flipped and he mentally cursed himself. "You should go home. Your uncle is probably waiting for you," he said rather coldly, and Senna's expression darkened sadly.

She nodded, bid Tonraq goodnight, and ran back to her uncle's house. Tonraq moved back up the steps, his feet growing heavier with fatigue. He fell onto his bed and without removing his worn clothing, he drifted into a deep sleep.


End file.
